Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-08-09
Some More About futile.

The st. Louis hepu0ttcdn puDllSneS
another leaf from the life of Gen.
James NJ. futile, of Iowa. The sto-
nv is furnished by General Farrar,
who succeeded him in the Department
of Nachez. General Farrar is o Re-
publican, Grand Army man, and a
prominent manufacturer of st. Louis.
He says: az commanded Missouri
regiment and was in command of
Fort Mcpherson, at Natchez. The
air at the time was filled with rumors
of cotton jobbing, and Tuttle's name
was unpIeasantly mentioned. Some
time in the winter of 1864, if my
memory is right. General Slocum
came to Fort Mcpherson. He spoke
of the cotton scandals, and said that
he could no longer tolerate futile in
command of the department.
/ j" After some more conversation be-
tween us, he said he intended to re-
move Tuttle that night, and he alb
pointed me to the department COM
mand. Soon after that I assumed
command, Tuttle left for the North.
About twenty minutes after the
North-bound New Orleans boat had
left with futile on board, the provost
guard reported to me that futile had
taken with him landeau that had
been confiscated from planter, some
time before, and was used at depart
ment headquarters,
1.-The landeau was a very valuable
one, perhaps the finest manufactured
at the time. 1t was fully worthS2 600.
1 Immediately informed General Slo-
cum, and he ordered a gunboat to
pursue the New Orleans boat up the
river and recover the landeau. The
gunboat caught up with the passen-
ger boat at Vicksburg, overhauled it,
and recovered the landeau. 1t was
returned to Natchez, and I used it
while in command of the department
and turned it over to my successor,
General Gavisson, of the regular army,
when I was mustered out of service.
The landeau was found among Tut
ties effects by the commander OF the
gunboat sent to recover it by General
Slocum, and can draw but one in
ference"
"Was that the only scandal with
with which General Tuttle was con-
spicuously identified?'
90 Not by a long shot. We discov-
cred that cotton planters and cotton
buyers were arbitrarily arrested, by
order of General Tuttle, confined in
the county Jail at Natchcz, then UNI
der charge Of the military, and as sum-
marily released, in certain instances,
after short confinement. We dis
covered there was certain fellow at
the time who claimed to be lawyer,
and to have the ear of General Tut
tie at all times. The fellow was from
ST. Louis, and if my memory serves
me right, his name was Hart. He
was a constant companion OF Tuttle's
and hung around the Generals head
quarters. We examined several cot
ton men who were summarily arrested
without warrant of law, and each OF
them testified that they had paid sums
running into the thousands to the st.
Louis lawyer. The total amount thus
paid, so far as we could discover,
was S74 ZOO. OF course, 1 can't say
for certain that any of this money
1OunQ us way lnLO Lne pOChebS VI
General Tuttle, but the man Hart
told the victims that he could work
General futile, and with this under
standing, they paid their money
1t is certain that Tuttle ordered the
arrest of these men without any cause
and, as soon as they paid their money,
released them without a word Of ex-
PLANTATION. 1t is difficult to draw
more than one conclusion from this.
1.-The impression prevailed that he
was sent North in disgrace, and that
he resigned in order to escape a
court-martial.H 1t was looked upon
at the time as a great favor, or a
great outrage, in fact, that he was
permitted to resign.
81 do not think that futile would
ever have been elected to an official
position in the Grand Army organi-
cation, if his record had been known.
Furthermore, don't think that he
ought to be permitted to attend the
Grand Army Encampment. He in
suited the President Of the United
States, and unless the Grand Army
repudiates him, the organization will
suffer in public estimation.